The Ferrari List
Discussion
I have always wondered how the special edition Ferrari's work as in how they are sold?
In my head I imagine like a small box in the top draw of the MDs office that can only be opened by him with a key that is passed down from the person you replace and in this box is a hand written list by Enzo with 20 preferred customers on it who he must call personally to discuss if they want the latest La Ferrari FXX, 599 GTO etc.
In all seriousness do they have a group of people that they invite to buy? Who is at the top of that list with first pick? Are there some who they don't even ask they just make it in there preferred spec and send it to them with a huge million euro invoice as they always have all of the special ones so don't bother them with the details like what engine it has or what it costs?
Or is it all bulls
t and its open for everyone with the money to buy it and they just pick and choose from who has ordered one?
Any insight into this fascinating world of very special super/hyper cars would be very interesting.
In my head I imagine like a small box in the top draw of the MDs office that can only be opened by him with a key that is passed down from the person you replace and in this box is a hand written list by Enzo with 20 preferred customers on it who he must call personally to discuss if they want the latest La Ferrari FXX, 599 GTO etc.
In all seriousness do they have a group of people that they invite to buy? Who is at the top of that list with first pick? Are there some who they don't even ask they just make it in there preferred spec and send it to them with a huge million euro invoice as they always have all of the special ones so don't bother them with the details like what engine it has or what it costs?
Or is it all bulls
t and its open for everyone with the money to buy it and they just pick and choose from who has ordered one?Any insight into this fascinating world of very special super/hyper cars would be very interesting.
I believe it used to be a matter of the local importer (Maranello Concessionaires in the UK) inviting their favoured clients to buy. Now, as I understand it, it is more centrally controlled by Ferrari with input from the dealers and is down to how good a cusotmer you are perceived to be. That means, not just how many cars you've bought but things like whether you sign up to some of the things like Pilota courses etc. XX or F1 Clienti customers leap up the list. I suspect things like fame and social media following come into it as well. Whether you keep your cars for a long or a short time is supposedly relevant too. It is said the Montzemolo personally went through the list of potential LaF buyers.
Jonathan
Jonathan
jtremlett said:
I believe it used to be a matter of the local importer (Maranello Concessionaires in the UK) inviting their favoured clients to buy. Now, as I understand it, it is more centrally controlled by Ferrari with input from the dealers and is down to how good a cusotmer you are perceived to be. That means, not just how many cars you've bought but things like whether you sign up to some of the things like Pilota courses etc. XX or F1 Clienti customers leap up the list. I suspect things like fame and social media following come into it as well. Whether you keep your cars for a long or a short time is supposedly relevant too.
Jonathan
Not the same as Porsche's bizarre system then, where you need to have bought 5 GT3s to qualify for a GT2 or 911R.Jonathan
Beni997 said:
It's done on a points system. You are literally ranked and then offered a slot if you meet the criteria. Even things like taking Ferrari finance out increases your ranking.
Really? That's surprising.Do owners know this? Is it like epic one upping each other to be top of the leader board like really expensive fantasy football or something hahah.
Think Ferrari often make it up as they go along... or just let press (and forums) speculate and fuel the myth of it all...
Some say it is a "scorecard" of buying at least 5 new Fezzas, 3 factory visits, 2 event visits (like a 70th birthday party), your wealth level, your financing, your offline and online fame / influence, and your 1-2-1 relationship with big local dealers. There are said to be 300 to 1000 folk on the worldwide list.
Whatever, it is a very clever strategy. Ferrari certainly don't make the fastest, best-handling or prettiest supercars, but they do make the most desirable ones for investors.
Some say it is a "scorecard" of buying at least 5 new Fezzas, 3 factory visits, 2 event visits (like a 70th birthday party), your wealth level, your financing, your offline and online fame / influence, and your 1-2-1 relationship with big local dealers. There are said to be 300 to 1000 folk on the worldwide list.
Whatever, it is a very clever strategy. Ferrari certainly don't make the fastest, best-handling or prettiest supercars, but they do make the most desirable ones for investors.
ntiz said:
Really? That's surprising.
Do owners know this? Is it like epic one upping each other to be top of the leader board like really expensive fantasy football or something hahah.
I have been told many times about how to increase your ranking. I was surprised that Ferrari events, finance and track events increase your rating but apparently they do. Do owners know this? Is it like epic one upping each other to be top of the leader board like really expensive fantasy football or something hahah.
Buying history, service history, if you have done any of the driving courses with them, finance and also if your local. The last one I thought was a bit odd but I guess it stops people from down south depriving us poor northerners of a build a slot and also deprives the supplying dealer of then serving as well.
Yipper said:
Think Ferrari often make it up as they go along... or just let press (and forums) speculate and fuel the myth of it all...
Some say it is a "scorecard" of buying at least 5 new Fezzas, 3 factory visits, 2 event visits (like a 70th birthday party), your wealth level, your financing, your offline and online fame / influence, and your 1-2-1 relationship with big local dealers. There are said to be 300 to 1000 folk on the worldwide list.
Whatever, it is a very clever strategy. Ferrari certainly don't make the fastest, best-handling or prettiest supercars, but they do make the most desirable ones for investors.
Yes, it's a points based system, and the dealer has more clout than they would lead one to believe. I started my Ferrari journey 20 years ago with a used car (which I still have) as my first F car. The Ferrari dealer barely returned my phone call. Today I am still with the same dealer and have number of Ferrari including invited LE. But I know there's some LE I will never be invited to and that's fine. Because there are buyers who do much more with Ferrari than I can do, whether because of money and time. Some say it is a "scorecard" of buying at least 5 new Fezzas, 3 factory visits, 2 event visits (like a 70th birthday party), your wealth level, your financing, your offline and online fame / influence, and your 1-2-1 relationship with big local dealers. There are said to be 300 to 1000 folk on the worldwide list.
Whatever, it is a very clever strategy. Ferrari certainly don't make the fastest, best-handling or prettiest supercars, but they do make the most desirable ones for investors.
Per your point about Ferrari ''certainly don't make the fastest, best-handling or prettiest supercars but they make the most desirable ones for investors". You will always find a car that might be quicker or better handling or prettier (by tiny margins). But what Ferrari does brilliantly well - and critically they do it over time - is they make cars that tick each of the boxes sufficiently well (I mean 97%+) that the power of the brand remains rock hard. You can't have sustainable brand power if the product is crap. Just not possible over time. Values remain strong because the product remains desirable because against a number of functional deliverables, the cars are the nuts.
In terms of this list, or 'preferred client status', or whatever you want to call it - it was mentioned above that social media posters, 'influencers' (hate that description), have clout to get on the LE list; that it is another plus to count towards the list.
From what I can see, that isn't necessarily the case, or certainly isn't as important a factor as being a repeat customer. Camlet, Traveller etc have LE models like the TdF for example, and I have no idea who they are in terms of being a celebrity - and that's the way it should be IMO.
Am I right? Do Ferrari care as much about these 'influencers' as they do their repeat, loyal customers such as Camlet? With the tradition and history they have, I suspect they don't need to rely on the social media posters as much as some other, newer, brands might
From what I can see, that isn't necessarily the case, or certainly isn't as important a factor as being a repeat customer. Camlet, Traveller etc have LE models like the TdF for example, and I have no idea who they are in terms of being a celebrity - and that's the way it should be IMO.
Am I right? Do Ferrari care as much about these 'influencers' as they do their repeat, loyal customers such as Camlet? With the tradition and history they have, I suspect they don't need to rely on the social media posters as much as some other, newer, brands might
the problem is you never know where you are, you could buy every model and be somewhere near the top only to be bumped down the list by some crazy rich man who buys two of every model taking your ranking.
since the enzo the game has changed, many people who were invited to buy an enzo weren't offered a la ferrari
since the enzo the game has changed, many people who were invited to buy an enzo weren't offered a la ferrari
I guess a big reason so many want to be on the list these days is that getting one new is actually the cheapest it will be and you can make money just by being on the list which is a bit of a shame really you would hope real enthusiasts would be at the top.
I thought I heard some where that a big way to be near the top is to race there cars as you are kind of doing them a favour and you deal with factory more?
I thought I heard some where that a big way to be near the top is to race there cars as you are kind of doing them a favour and you deal with factory more?
I guess one could ask whether or not you're a Ferrari enthusiast if you're buying up loads of their cars without much regard for what they are, how they drive, how they have evolved, etc, purely to get onto a list for another car. Those kinds of people therefore - I would assume - don't particularly care about the LE car either beyond how much of a return they might make if they got offered one.
In that regard I could understand why Ferrari add "points" for attending events, Pilota, etc as that would suggest that person is invested in the Ferrari brand. Obviously when you're talking about overs of 250%+ on LE cars you're still going to end up with people who go the extra mile and look, walk and quack like a Ferrari enthusiast but are actually just speculators.
In that regard I could understand why Ferrari add "points" for attending events, Pilota, etc as that would suggest that person is invested in the Ferrari brand. Obviously when you're talking about overs of 250%+ on LE cars you're still going to end up with people who go the extra mile and look, walk and quack like a Ferrari enthusiast but are actually just speculators.
Camlet said:
Per your point about Ferrari ''certainly don't make the fastest, best-handling or prettiest supercars but they make the most desirable ones for investors". You will always find a car that might be quicker or better handling or prettier (by tiny margins). But what Ferrari does brilliantly well - and critically they do it over time - is they make cars that tick each of the boxes sufficiently well (I mean 97%+) that the power of the brand remains rock hard. You can't have sustainable brand power if the product is crap. Just not possible over time. Values remain strong because the product remains desirable because against a number of functional deliverables, the cars are the nuts.
How many times do you hear/read people say, "There's just something about Ferrari....I'm not sure what it is." which, I think, is essentially what you're saying.I'm 3.5 years into Ferrari ownership, have bought three JCT Leeds cars which I still own (458 Spider, F12, Speciale) and feel frustrated because I'm not sure how to go about getting to LE invite levels. In some ways I'm not sure I want to think like that in any case as I love cars for what they are and pretty much 80% of my life revolves around that these days and buying things I don't particularly want to get into an LE car goes against the grain.
Then again, my F12 is epic, I can't imagine what a TdF is like to drive. Sigh. Always the Bridesmaid.....
Edited by _Leg_ on Wednesday 1st November 19:54
Edited by _Leg_ on Wednesday 1st November 19:55
_Leg_ said:
How many times do you hear/read people say, "There's just something about Ferrari....I'm not sure what it is." which, I think, is essentially what you're saying.
I'm 3.5 years into Ferrari ownership, have bought three JCT Leeds cars which I still own (458 Spider, F12, Speciale) and feel frustrated because I'm not sure how to go about getting to LE invite levels. In some ways I'm not sure I want to think like that in any case as I love cars for what they are and pretty much 80% of my life revolves around that these days and buying things I don't particularly want to get into an LE car goes against the grain.
Then again, my F12 is epic, I can't imagine what a TdF is like to drive. Sigh. Always the Bridesmaid.....
Get that lovely gto they have.I'm 3.5 years into Ferrari ownership, have bought three JCT Leeds cars which I still own (458 Spider, F12, Speciale) and feel frustrated because I'm not sure how to go about getting to LE invite levels. In some ways I'm not sure I want to think like that in any case as I love cars for what they are and pretty much 80% of my life revolves around that these days and buying things I don't particularly want to get into an LE car goes against the grain.
Then again, my F12 is epic, I can't imagine what a TdF is like to drive. Sigh. Always the Bridesmaid.....
Edited by _Leg_ on Wednesday 1st November 19:54
Edited by _Leg_ on Wednesday 1st November 19:55
Need to get friendly with ri wouldn’t mind coming on one of your Europe tours
It is a bit of a conundrum as an enthusiast you would like the special cars but to be allowed access you need buy a huge amount cars that you might not necessarily have jumped on. Of course buying Ferraris is no hardship it is like the most first world problem ever.
If your high enough up the list do they let you start just buying the limited cars?
If your high enough up the list do they let you start just buying the limited cars?
ntiz said:
It is a bit of a conundrum as an enthusiast you would like the special cars but to be allowed access you need buy a huge amount cars that you might not necessarily have jumped on. Of course buying Ferraris is no hardship it is like the most first world problem ever.
If your high enough up the list do they let you start just buying the limited cars?
Not sure they do, I know of an owner with a significant collection inc 2 x F40, Enzo etc and he had to buy an FF to get an F12TdF, He didn't get a LaF. I was told by one dealer that the LaF distribution caused them significant problems with the Factory deciding who received oneIf your high enough up the list do they let you start just buying the limited cars?
F355GTS said:
Not sure they do, I know of an owner with a significant collection inc 2 x F40, Enzo etc and he had to buy an FF to get an F12TdF, He didn't get a LaF. I was told by one dealer that the LaF distribution caused them significant problems with the Factory deciding who received one
I think what annoys most who have such collections is them giving allocations to Gordon Ramsey, Justin Biber and other celebs etcDurzel said:
Ramsay isn't a great example. His love and commitment to Ferrari is well known to both them (he has visited them a number of times) and outsiders. He is an enthusiast who happens to be famous.
Yes - he bought a used 550 as his first, and was clearly very excited, which no random celeb would do as they would want the latest, shiniest exampleGassing Station | Supercar General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff